http://ps3media.ign.com/ps3/image/article/840/840942/hot-shots-golf-5-20071211044657283_640w.jpg

I've been waiting for this lovable lil' golf game ever since I played the Japanese demo last spring... it is finally coming out here in the US and the reviews are being posted:

8.9 - ign.com (http://ps3.ign.com/articles/858/858760p1.html)
Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds is a tremendously fun golf game, one that should appease either casual or hardcore golf fans. It's an arcadey approach to the sport, for sure, but there's still a good deal of depth in the game that'll give veteran players plenty to work with. There could have been more courses, and the lack of voice support online is somewhat disappointing, but the overall package is a ton of fun and definitely worth picking up.

More reviews (thx to DaveFi):

4/5 - Gamespy.com (http://ps3.gamespy.com/playstation-3/minna-no-golf-5/859726p1.html)

Really, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Out of Bounds isn't a particularly good golf simulator... if you hadn't played it, that is. Its cartoony patina belies what is a surprisingly nuanced golf game that comes with all of the testy weather, ball spin dynamics and course hazards you'd expect from a game with a more serious demeanor.

88/100 - Gamingheaven.net (http://www.driverheaven.net/gamingreviews.php?reviewid=562)
There are some RPG elements in the game and for every session you increase a Loyalty bonus. Each additional loyalty level increases character attributes, such as shot power or accuracy. I feel it is a very pleasant aspect to the game and adds considerable depth to the long term playability of the title.

4/5 - G4 XPLAY (http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/reviews/1740/Hot_Shots_Golf_Out_of_Bounds.html)
On the online side of things, Hot Shots is a ton of fun. After creating a profile avatar and outfitting him or her with goofy gear, you can join a clubhouse lobby of up to 30 people for some Mii-like mayhem. From the lobby, you can then join a round on the links. Each game can have up to eight players, and every player golfs in real-time. This keeps the round moving at a nice pace without downtime, but it also lets you see the characters you’re competing against as they swing their way towards the cup.

8.8 - GameZone (http://ps3.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r28583.htm)
The first time your caddy takes off to chase down the tee shot, the game has you hooked with its cuteness. The animations are compelling, but then you begin to realize the depth of the game. Not only has SCE Japan and Clap Hanz put together a solid golfing game, but they have kept it simple enough to be inviting to players of all ages and skill levels.

8.9 - PSXextreme (http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-reviews/117.html)
The practice course, while it may look simple has challenges you can attempt to take on. You'll spot a barrel, a basket, and a paper cup in the stage - the barrel is about 41 yards ahead, the basket is close to 50, and the paper cup is about 7 yards in front of you. The fun comes when you try to pop the ball into either of the three, which takes incredible precision. The barrel is clearly the easiest target, with the basket being next, and the cup being the hardest. It took me a while, but I nailed all three, which was a blast. You can aim at other things, such as a flotation device suspending from a tree, and of course the actual hole itself, 234 yards away. And this is just one example of what makes HSG5 so fantastic; it's the little things that add up to such a fantastic package.

bought!

Sweet! I can't wait to get this (unfortunately I'll have to wait a bit). The AAA titles are rolling for the PS3 now.

In for sure, need something good to was the bad taste of Army of Poo... errr Army of Two out of my mouth.

I'm busy with The Show, but I will pick this up once it goes on sale. :)

Too bad about the voice chat. I was sure they were going to add that for the US update, but I guess not. No major loss, as I usually turn it off once I start playing anyways. Nice feature to have when you're playing with mature players though. Hopefully if enough people complain this is something they'll add later on. That won't stop me from buying my copy next week.;)

Wonder if this one has rumble support? It would be cool if you could feel the club hitting the ball...

Wonder if this one has rumble support? It would be cool if you could feel the club hitting the ball...

No, this one so far has no rumble support. The development team once said something on this issue and for a specific reason(which I forgot) they decided not to add it in.

No, this one so far has no rumble support. The development team once said something on this issue and for a specific reason(which I forgot) they decided not to add it in.

Sure you're not thinking about SixAxis control? They did specifically say they decided not to use that.

Man, I've owned them all and this one will be no different. What is the release date?

Next Tuesday!

No voice chat = no buy, as I've stated previously. If that gets fixed down the road, I'll pick it up later. Looks like a good time otherwise.

So I want a golf game, but I'm only a casual player.....This kinda looks interesting. If I had to choose between Tiger 08 and this, which is it? Clearly they are different games, but sometimes I like the light and fun better than the ultra realistic.

Thoughts?

Good video preview

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/23624.html

Next Tuesday!

dammit. I'm down $200 next week with 3 day 1 buys. Lets just hope the online component is better than the Japanese version (have to reserve tee times!). That will not work here.

So I want a golf game, but I'm only a casual player.....This kinda looks interesting. If I had to choose between Tiger 08 and this, which is it? Clearly they are different games, but sometimes I like the light and fun better than the ultra realistic.

Thoughts?

Good video preview

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/23624.htmlI can guarantee you that you will have a lot more fun with HSG! I keep playing the demo and i just get better and better! I consider myself a casual gamer also. Go DL the demo on the European store. Its worth it!

Also disenchanted with the lack of voice support. This is a series that my old college buddies & I used to play all the time...but now that we're spread out all over the country, this isn't nearly as appealing if we can't even talk to each other!

Maybe the firmware updates to XMB and HOME will allow for universal chat in any game. Not much of a consolation now since it is out next week, but if it eventually happens a lot of gamers will be pleased.

Day one purchase for me. But I am certainly bummed about the voice chat being nonexistent. We can only hope that in game XMB allows for voice chat during any game. :(

Sure you're not thinking about SixAxis control? They did specifically say they decided not to use that.

Both. I have the JPN version and it has no rumble as of last weekend.

I can guarantee you that you will have a lot more fun with HSG! I keep playing the demo and i just get better and better! I consider myself a casual gamer also. Go DL the demo on the European store. Its worth it!

There's a demo?? How do I access the Euro store?

Hot Shots Golf, Vegas 2, Condemend, DarkSector = $240+ lighter wallet, and a big ouch!!

i was planning on purchasing this game but found out it only has 6 courses!! if it had a little more, it would be day one for me. another thing i didn't like is the outfits aren't as customizable as the previous versions.

Yeah, this is not a $60 game for me. I'll wait for it to be in the Hits Collection or something like that.

I'd like to own it, but I don't think it's worth $60 with only 6 courses and no voice online. Perhaps when I find it a bit cheaper months from now.

Also disenchanted with the lack of voice support. This is a series that my old college buddies & I used to play all the time...but now that we're spread out all over the country, this isn't nearly as appealing if we can't even talk to each other!

I feel the same way. I dont mind the lower # of courses, but no voice chat is really too bad.

There's a demo?? How do I access the Euro store? Create a new account and create a new playstation store account with Europe as location. Then you will be able to DL the demo!

REally??? I will try it now!
Why is the demo only in Europe???

edit: ITs called "Everybody's Golf" on the Euro store, lol...I couldn't find it at first.....This is a great tip though thanks for the headsup.....I wonder if I should add a 3rd account for Japan!??!

REally??? I will try it now!
Why is the demo only in Europe???

edit: ITs called "Everybody's Golf" on the Euro store, lol...I couldn't find it at first.....This is a great tip though thanks for the headsup.....I wonder if I should add a 3rd account for Japan!??!

Why not? There's a lot of people here that have an account for all 3 stores.

I had no idea....


One concern after playing the demo is the music.....While it was cool, it was a 30 second or so song that kept looping over and over and over on the 3 holes I played....Tell me that was just cause it was the demo?

^^^ I just checked the a translation guide (http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps3/file/930083/49550) of the import and it has a music section in the options menu. Unless the only option is to make it louder, you should be ok to at least turn it off ;). Here's hoping in-game XMB comes soon to replace it with our own music.

IM still gonna get it even with the short comings of voice chat and limited corses. I see this game getting update and patches along the way to make the replay value higher, and online better....I can dream cant I?

Even though it only has 6 courses, in the online play you can set the conditions of the course, # of sandtraps etc, so can vary the play a little.

I'm sure they'll be selling more courses on the PSN for this one over time.

I was already confirmed that there would be DLC like new courses and characters for this.

18 holes for each course is not bad to start with when you have other games to play. I have downloaded all the available characters for Pain. I see myself doing the same for this game. Looking forward to this game on launch.

do they mirror the courses at least? it's a cheap way to double the courses, but that would convince me to purchase it at full price.

do they mirror the courses at least? it's a cheap way to double the courses, but that would convince me to purchase it at full price.

They have in the past. So I hope they will on this one.

do they mirror the courses at least? it's a cheap way to double the courses, but that would convince me to purchase it at full price.Yes they mirror the courses, it was in a video on gametrailer i think.

Fry's is going to have this game for $49 at launch for everyone interested.

^^^Thanks for the heads up! I'll definitely buy it from them.

Screen shots look NICE. I had more fun with hot shots on PSP than any other PSP game, truth be told. I played that game to death. The casual nature of PSP play worked perfectly with a pick up any old time game like hot shots golf. That being said if this game is as fun as that one and looks as beautiful as seems to be the case, I may finally have a GAME to play on my PS3, not just used as a BD player anymore! :eek:

Yes they mirror the courses, it was in a video on gametrailer i think.

So, does that mean there are only 3 original courses, or are there 6 original and 6 mirrored courses?

So, does that mean there are only 3 original courses, or are there 6 original and 6 mirrored courses?6 original and 6 mirrored courses... and more to come!

6 original and 6 mirrored courses... and more to come!

That doesn't sound too bad.

Fry's is going to have this game for $49 at launch for everyone interested.When are they going to start expanding into the East Coast?:( Oh well, I hope they have it on sale at Best Buy or Circuit City, but I'm not counting on it. I don't buy many games, I'll probably buy it anyways for $60.

Video Review (http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/775/775513/vids_1.html) up at IGN.

Anyone know of the JP store still has the demo up?

Anyone know of the JP store still has the demo up?Apparently the demo was taken down a couple on month ago... still got mine, had it since march 07 i think :D

Anyone know of the JP store still has the demo up?

I downloaded it from the Australia store a few weeks ago- check there.

Circuit City and Fry's will have it on Wednesday for $49.99.

Circuit City and Fry's will have it on Wednesday for $49.99.Great! Exactly why I didn't preorder it. Unfortunately my CC rarely ever gets new games, so if they don't get it in-store I'll have to act fast and mail-order it.

When are they going to start expanding into the East Coast?:( Oh well, I hope they have it on sale at Best Buy or Circuit City, but I'm not counting on it. I don't buy many games, I'll probably buy it anyways for $60.

Video Review (http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/775/775513/vids_1.html) up at IGN.

I have a Fry's down here in Atlanta, but I think that that's the only one in all of Georgia. Anyways, it's a start.

I have a Fry's down here in Atlanta, but I think that that's the only one in all of Georgia. Anyways, it's a start.

There's actually 2 in ATL now. Alpharetta and Duluth.

I've been playing the full Asian version of this since it came out. It has been a hit with my family. The music does leave a little to be desired but there are different songs on each course. There are 6 courses and a practice area. Each course has a mirror version. There are also several sets of tees for each course. It is really a different course from the longest tees to the shortest tees. You can also change variables such as the cup size (wish I could do that!).

I'll be picking it up as soon as it is out at Circuit City next week. I'll get my rounds in between playing RSV2. I just wish you could unlock courses while playing with other people...oh well, it's still a solid game.

Gamespy Review (http://ps3.gamespy.com/playstation-3/minna-no-golf-5/859726p1.html) 4 out of 5 stars.
Gamingheaven.net (http://www.driverheaven.net/gamingreviews.php?reviewid=562) 88/100.
G4 XPLAY Review (http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/reviews/1740/Hot_Shots_Golf_Out_of_Bounds.html) 4/5.
GameZone (http://ps3.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r28583.htm) 8.8

Thanks for the update Dave... my computer's hard drive went out (a 400GB Seagate) so I am on my PS3's browser until HP sends me my free replacement. The browser doesn't copy and paste, so I can't post any links right now.

I loved the PSP version of this game and will pick this up for sure.

question...

is "hot shots golf" similar to "outlaw golf" in the style of play or is it better/worse.
how much different is it.

only reason i asked is because outlaw golf(1) was the last golf game i really enjoyed and hot shots looks like a lot of fun too, but the control style itself is what really stood out to me in outlaw golf.
anyway, this looks realy fun and could be a nice break from all of the killing in warhawk and ao2.

Download the demo. Wouldn't that be a better indication than reading an opinion on here?

Download the demo. Wouldn't that be a better indication than reading an opinion on here?

thanks... :rolleyes:

Download the demo. Wouldn't that be a better indication than reading an opinion on here?

rdank, I believe that so's your face was seeking an opinion as opposed to first had experience ( :confused: I could be wrong, but that's how I read it ;)). And to this point, I would second his request. I don't have any non-us accounts set up and hence don't have access to download the demo (I could set up an account if I had the time...but time is a luxury that comes at a high price in my household :)).

If you can wait one more day you'll get lots more answers as the game comes out tommorow.

If that came off as mean or aggressive or anything else, that was not the intent. There's a demo that takes a few button clicks to download. Just seemed to me that would be a better way of deciding over impressions and comparisons on the internet. I understand time is a premium for folks my age, but we are talking about 3 or 4 minutes tops here to start it downloading.

Wish I could answer the question for you, but I only played one or two rounds on Outlaw Golf and don't remember it.

Hot Shots is better than Outlaw Golf PERIOD!.

Well, the demo isn't a few clicks away since it requires one to set up a new account in Europe.

They'll probably put up the demo this week in the US store. I read somewhere they haven't put it up yet for fear of bandwidth concerns. That shows you they still have a long way to go if over a year later that's still a concern.

thanks for the input. maybe i will check it out wednesday.

as with the previous titles in this franchise, Out of Bounds looks to be a charmer

I played the demo and it was quite fun. I tried the Advanced Controls but they were not my cup of tea. If anyone has any questions about the game and doesn't feel like making a European account/downloading the demo or waiting till Wednesday (or Thursday in Canada) let me know and I can try and answer them.

I've been strictly playing the advanced control method on the demo and actually prefer it. For the random three holes it allows you to play, I've gotten some great results including five -3 "games" in a row as well as getting Eagles in back to back games (on Par 5 holes of course).

The key is to get a visual feel for the swing of the club, which is easy to do if you take practice swings (i.e. press the button once and let it fully animate). You can nail down the amount of power you need that way much easier. Also, when putting you can hear four beeps as you swing, making it easier to guage power than the normal swings. Each beep represents +25% power, so again use practice swings (one button press only) to test yourself if you need timing help.

Here's the problem I was having (please excuse my lack of knowledge of golf terms).

When I use classic controls it's easy to direct the ball. If I want the ball to hook to the left I just press the left button, hook right I press the right button. If I want to put top spin or back spin on the ball I press and hold either up or down. How do I do this with the advanced controls? Or is it the same thing?

Is anyone selling this game at midnight tonight? maybe a walmart or meijer?

Here's the problem I was having (please excuse my lack of knowledge of golf terms).

When I use classic controls it's easy to direct the ball. If I want the ball to hook to the left I just press the left button, hook right I press the right button. If I want to put top spin or back spin on the ball I press and hold either up or down. How do I do this with the advanced controls? Or is it the same thing?

Same thing, but you hold the opposite direction on the pad for what you want to do (hold right to make it curve left, hold down to make it pop up). The only guaranteed way to add a lot of english to a swing is to get the perfect impact to connect. Otherwise, try to hold the pad just before you press X for final impact.

Plus, if you hold opposite of what you want to do on the power meter, and then switch to the correct direction on the impact swing, you can add extra english to the ball with extra special effects if your impact is perfect. For instance... press X, hold up, press X, then down, press X and if the impact is perfect your ball will go really high and not roll forward so much. When it is about to stop the backspin will make the ball turbo roll backwards a yard or so with blue sparks.

When it is about to stop the backspin will make the ball turbo roll backwards a yard or so with blue sparks.
I cant seem to be able to do that! I do just like you said, i get the blue dot on the ball... but no backspin or sparks :confused:

I'm thinking it might be because of the two golfers available in the demo. My wife has been playing with the girl and me the guy and even with the procedure described above and perfect impact (including the little double note sign) no real backspin to speak of. (Surely not like I used to get with T-Bone on HSG4!) Also, note the meter on the side of the ball image to the bottom, right doesn't seem to show much spin ability. He doens't do to bad at the draw/fade though.
One more day guys!

been playing the Japanese version for some time
don't think US players can play Japan players online
I'm probably going to trade the Japanese version for a movie or something
hint, hint ;)

No voice chat = no buy, as I've stated previously. If that gets fixed down the road, I'll pick it up later. Looks like a good time otherwise.

Thats kinda how I feel, If I cant talk to my friends while playing then I just dont wanna play...UT3 is the only exception to this rule I have made and hopefully they will fix that via a patch soon.

I cant seem to be able to do that! I do just like you said, i get the blue dot on the ball... but no backspin or sparks :confused:

I think you only get backspin if the ball lands on the fairway, the putting green or the fringe. The blue bullseye on the ball tells you that you did it correctly.

There is also spin/hook-slice guide on the ball display in the bottom right. It shows you how much you can affect the ball.

I can't recall if I have been able to draw the ball hitting out of the fairway. But I have done it hitting off the tee on the par 3 hole. And it also made for an awesome shot (should have been a hole-in-one if it wasnt for the first going in the water). And I don't think you will have to worry about missing a shot that hits a pin with the super spin like you could in Hot Shots Fore.

Hey, this release date is today but no one has this in stock! Some sites (walmat, circuit city, etc) show the release date as today 3/18/08 and others (Best Buy) show it as tomorrow...........anyone find this game in stores yet?

Hey, this release date is today but no one has this in stock! Some sites (walmat, circuit city, etc) show the release date as today 3/18/08 and others (Best Buy) show it as tomorrow...........anyone find this game in stores yet?
Same thing here in Canada... nothing!! that sux!!!! I was so ready to play today lol:(

It's Tomorrow. Can't You Guys Just Wait?????

Is this game coming to the Playstation Store?

The dates you see listed are always the shipping date. So for HSG, today the 18th is the shipping date. You'll see it on shelves Wednesday the 19th.

Circuit City also has it on sale for the people that like to get things for a little cheaper =).

Circuit City also has it on sale for the people that like to get things for a little cheaper =).

Can you verify this? It still shows up as 59.99 on the CC website. And given the choice I'll go to Best buy (reward points) and spend the 60 bucks there.

Is this game coming to the Playstation Store?

No. It is on a disc. There will be DLC, though.

Can you verify this? It still shows up as 59.99 on the CC website. And given the choice I'll go to Best buy (reward points) and spend the 60 bucks there.

To verify, click the 'WEEKLY AD' link on top left of CC's site.

To verify, click the 'WEEKLY AD' link on top left of CC's site.

Ahh.. So I see. Thanks.. I guess They will get the 20 bucks back in DLC. :D Off to CC this evening

Ahh.. So I see. Thanks.. I guess They will get the 20 bucks back in DLC. :D Off to CC this evening

What price is it showing for in Ohio? I see it selling for $49.99, which is only $10 cheaper.

I'll just take the ad to Best Buy so they can price match and I still get my reward points.

Circuit City and Fry's will have it on Wednesday for $49.99.

Where'd you see the price for CC? I just checked on their website and the had it for $59.99

Where'd you see the price for CC? I just checked on their website and the had it for $59.99

See post #85

No voice chat = no buy, as I've stated previously. If that gets fixed down the road, I'll pick it up later. Looks like a good time otherwise.
so is it confirmed that there's no voice chat? just wondering. i have a few buddies who were going to pick this up and told me to wait because they heard that it was keyboard messaging only.

See post #85

Sweet thanks, missed that one! Damn stealth browsing at work.

What price is it showing for in Ohio? I see it selling for $49.99, which is only $10 cheaper.

I'll just take the ad to Best Buy so they can price match and I still get my reward points.

Pay me no mind.. I went to public schools here in Ohio. CC shows 49.99 a difference of 10 bucks..Not 20..LOL Darned public schools.. :D

Agreed, BB price match is the way to go. They are hours/days ahead of CC in my area on new releases. Just use their in-store availability tracker before you go.

Is anyone showing HSG available in your area yet?

BB's tracker says Vegas2 is in but not HSG. That's not good. Combined with the fact that today (Wed) was listed as the ship date on a lot of sites, we may be waiting until tomorrow.

The CC ad says Thursday as well. I'd imagine Gamestop and EB might have it this afternoon.

Confirmed, Gamestop has it in. On my way now...

I hate when we have to rent games at Gamestop for full price for a day or two while the other stores catch up.

Hot Shots Golf is also listed in the Fry's ad in today's paper for $49.99. So, I'll be taking that with me to Best Buy on the way home for the price match.

I'll stop by my local Fry's in a few minutes to confirm if it is in stock.

BTW, I updated the first page with the links DaveFi posted as well as key comments from each. I didn't know about the practice mode challenges that PSXextreme describes. Can't wait to try it out.

I am experiencing video lag with this game. When clicking X to set the shot power and then again at the end to hit it straight, I cannot get it to stop in the right spot. I am using a 720p TV, PS3 is set to 720p, connected via HDMI and still this problem. I have never before had any troubles on this TV with PS3 or XBOX 360 games if I output at 720p. There does not appear to be a "calibrate lag" setting like there is on Guitar Hero. Wondering if anyone else is having the same issue.

Hot Shots is better than Outlaw Golf PERIOD!.


I disagree......PERIOD! :D:D:D


lol

I am experiencing video lag with this game. When clicking X to set the shot power and then again at the end to hit it straight, I cannot get it to stop in the right spot. I am using a 720p TV, PS3 is set to 720p, connected via HDMI and still this problem. I have never before had any troubles on this TV with PS3 or XBOX 360 games if I output at 720p. There does not appear to be a "calibrate lag" setting like there is on Guitar Hero. Wondering if anyone else is having the same issue.

Are you using advanced or standard swing type?

In the demo the advanced was great, the standard swing with the bar at the bottom had a significant delay when I pushed the final x to stop it on the line. Just adjust when you hit the button.

Anyone know if Best Buy has this?

I disagree......PERIOD! :D:D:D


lol

:eek: lol

I was going to get HSG, but I saw that Sega Superstar Tennis and I just had to get it.

Just went and grabbed it at Best Buy (San Carlos,CA). Pricematched it with the Circuit City Ad with no problems. I was ready to pay full price too, glad I read this thread first.

I loved Hot Shots on PS2 - can't wait to try it out tonight...

Are you using advanced or standard swing type?

In the demo the advanced was great, the standard swing with the bar at the bottom had a significant delay when I pushed the final x to stop it on the line. Just adjust when you hit the button.

Anyone know if Best Buy has this?

According to their ad it says it will be in by 2pm on 3/19 although I haven't been able to verify this yet.

I just picked the game up at Best Buy Framingham, MA store. They price matched CC for $50.

There's actually 2 in ATL now. Alpharetta and Duluth.

And there may be a third. There is a new mall going in, at I-75S, close to Hank Aaron's BMW dealership & I have heard a rumor that the 3rd Fry's in the Metro Area will be there.

OT. I think I'm going to have to break down & buy this game this weekend. Looks like a lot of fun!




edit: Actually since the BB near work (Cobb Parkway) is showing it in stock, I may have to get this in the next 120 minutes or so! :D

I just got home with Hot Shots Golf. I picked it up at the L5P-area Best Buy. I used the Fry's ad to get the $49.99.

It was everything I could do to stop and work out on the way home and not just race home to play.




So, when is the first AVS tournament? :D

Mmmm maybe im missing something... but while playing, i cant see the other player play... how come?

I picked it up too, this game has to install? I don't like this trend of mandatory installs AT ALL, especially for a game like this. There is no reason at all for this to install to the hdd.


Good so far, looks like you have to unlock most of the settings, characters, etc by playing.......................putting is a bitch!

I picked it up too, this game has to install? I don't like this trend of mandatory installs AT ALL, especially for a game like this. There is no reason at all for this to install to the hdd.


Good so far, looks like you have to unlock most of the settings, characters, etc by playing.......................putting is a bitch!

Haven't put it in yet. Is the install optional?

Haven't put it in yet. Is the install optional?

Nope. Mandatory. I don't know the size, but it took about 12-15 minutes. Too busy watching I am Legend to check the file size. If no one beats me to it, I'll post the file size after the movie.

I played the first two challenges. I'm so glad this finally came out.

I just put the disc in it and it started installing. Size looks to be about 3.5 GB!!!!!!

I picked it up too, this game has to install? I don't like this trend of mandatory installs AT ALL, especially for a game like this. There is no reason at all for this to install to the hdd.


Good so far, looks like you have to unlock most of the settings, characters, etc by playing.......................putting is a bitch!



Yeah, I thought, is this my PC or my PS3??


Yeah, this game, IMHO, strikes just the right balance between maddening & oh so, so satisfying. Sorta like real golf! :)

Ok we probably need to start a meet thread for us AVS members.

I just put the disc in it and it started installing. Size looks to be about 3.5 GB!!!!!!


3599MB, to be exact. Worth every byte, though. :D

The game is pretty sweet, but WTF is up with all these installs? Even a 60 GB disk is going to be full after only a handful of games like this....

Mmmm maybe im missing something... but while playing, i cant see the other player play... how come?

I believe the only thing you should say when playing multi is what the other players balls are doing. Guess they figured it would be to big of a distraction if you saw a bunch of other characters doing stuff.

MUST TURN OFF THE MUSIC...MUST...TURN...OFF...THE MUSIC...ARGH!!!!!

OK, that said, the rest of it is pretty cool. Give me time to actually learn how to hit the ball where I want and then we'll start playing.

Odd that you use the D-pad to control ball spin. Doesn't it make more sense to actually control ball spin with your club as you "hit" the ball with the analog stick?

I hit the ball and it landed a few feet from the pin and rolled right into the pin and bounced out....This close to a hole in 1........Hole #17 on Highland CC!

Putting tip: don't hit it near as hard as the yellow hint asterisk tells you to...The ball flies off the putter!

One thing thats kinda cool, the day "progresses" and starts off really early and turns to dusk.

I hit the ball and it landed a few feet from the pin and rolled right into the pin and bounced out....This close to a hole in 1........Hole #17 on Highland CC!

Putting tip: don't hit it near as hard as the yellow hint asterisk tells you to...The ball flies off the putter!

One thing thats kinda cool, the day "progresses" and starts off really early and turns to dusk.

I've noticed the exact opposite. Especially when putting down hill. To each his own. My God! It's just after 0100 Eastern & I just put my "putter" (sixaxis) down. This game is going to cause consternation with Mrs. lovswr :D

I've been playing it too much myself. I can see how people get addicted to the series.

I only managed to get in two 9 hole games (the first two challenges) before putting on I am Legend. -3 over all 18 holes--not too shabby after not playing the 3 hole demo for about 4 months.

I plan on getting a few rounds in every day, at least. I'll definitely have to turn the music off, though...

Putting tip: don't hit it near as hard as the yellow hint asterisk tells you to...The ball flies off the putter!


Hey guys, the yellow flash is the half-power point, not the approximate distance to the flag like in the regular shot mode. I did that the first few times in the demo too. I'll try to describe this- there are 4 beeps.
1 beep 25% power
2nd beep (yellow flash) 50% power
3rd beep 75%
4th beep (red flash) 100%

We picked up the game at a game stop last night after work and played all night. I am SO stupid for volunteering to work our "skeleton crew" day tomorrow...... ARGH!! My wife and I could be playing this all day and intead we'll be working!! STUPID STUPID STUPID!!!!

EDIT: oh, and turn the music off or you will soon be residing in a padded room somewhere

This new shot system makes it WAY to easy to hit consistently. My wife and I we tied after our first 9 last night. I can this becoming quite competitive. :D

The new method allows you to hit 100% power easily, but it's harder to guage the mid and short range game. I still prefer it over the traditional method, and hopefully the next one offers motion controls like HV Bowling.

Hey guys, the yellow flash is the half-power point, not the approximate distance to the flag like in the regular shot mode. I did that the first few times in the demo too. I'll try to describe this- there are 4 beeps.
1 beep 25% power
2nd beep (yellow flash) 50% power
3rd beep 75%
4th beep (red flash) 100%

We picked up the game at a game stop last night after work and played all night. I am SO stupid for volunteering to work our "skeleton crew" day tomorrow...... ARGH!! My wife and I could be playing this all day and intead we'll be working!! STUPID STUPID STUPID!!!!

EDIT: oh, and turn the music off or you will soon be residing in a padded room somewhere


Duh! I guess I should have noticed it was always blinking at half way...lol...I've only played for about 15 minutes, but the game is great fun!

I just don't see what the problem is with the music. I think its kinda cool in a 50'ish Enzyte sort of way.

There is also a ghost ball that shows the power when putting.
On the longer putts its not as useful because the ball is to hard to see.

Question about the multiplayer tournaments... I see that you can have up to 50 players entered in a tournament; does that mean that you see "ghost" images of the other 49 players as you're playing the round? I've seen a game video showing how the other players are presented during multiplayer and I saw as many as a half dozen on the screen at a time.

I would think this could get so busy that you couldn't align your shot. This would be particularly disconcerting trying to line up a putt if it's the way I'm perceiving it.

I thought it was just the ball that is shown when playing online, but I havent tried it yet so know for sure.

I think you can turn off the other players though.

Nope. Mandatory. I don't know the size, but it took about 12-15 minutes. Too busy watching I am Legend to check the file size. If no one beats me to it, I'll post the file size after the movie.

I played the first two challenges. I'm so glad this finally came out.

From what the gamestop guys told me they said that Sony went with a slower Blu-ray drive and thats why a lot of content gets loaded to the faster hard drive. I sort of just took there word for it since all the games that I have thus far have loaded to the hard drive. They say it makes for a long wait the first time you put in the game but after that load times are faster since it doesn't have to hit the Blu-ray drive as much. Anyone verify this yet? I'll be upgrading my HD soon to 250gb anyway so it shouldn't matter much.

This game is going to cause consternation with Mrs. lovswr :D
Get her to play with you. Even non-gamers should be able to get the hang of the standard shot mode, and HSG is awfully cute. :)

You CAN turn the music off right? I think I'll be getting this on my way home tonight but if you can't turn it off, that may kill it for me. The demo music was absolutley unbearable.

You CAN turn the music off right? I think I'll be getting this on my way home tonight but if you can't turn it off, that may kill it for me. The demo music was absolutley unbearable.


Yes, you can turn off the music. It's one of the first options under...um....options.

I like the music, problem is its short and REPETITIVE...I imagine each course has unique music, but again it repeats and thats where I can see it getting grating.....Option to turn off solves that!

From what the gamestop guys told me they said that Sony went with a slower Blu-ray drive and thats why a lot of content gets loaded to the faster hard drive. I sort of just took there word for it since all the games that I have thus far have loaded to the hard drive. They say it makes for a long wait the first time you put in the game but after that load times are faster since it doesn't have to hit the Blu-ray drive as much. Anyone verify this yet? I'll be upgrading my HD soon to 250gb anyway so it shouldn't matter much.

I have heard on the forums that BD is slower in some circumstances, but not so in others....I think one issue is there is simply much more data to fetch off the disc since its packed on their denser and and often goes way past the DVD-9 storage limits.....That said the mandatory install is NOT standard, and only a handful of games require it.....3.5 GB is huge for a golf game.

Get her to play with you. Even non-gamers should be able to get the hang of the standard shot mode, and HSG is awfully cute. :)


That is a most excellent idea.

Get her to play with you. Even non-gamers should be able to get the hang of the standard shot mode, and HSG is awfully cute. :)

I agree- my wife LOVES this game. She's the one that originally preordered it from Amazon before they bumped the ship date.

The new method allows you to hit 100% power easily, but it's harder to guage the mid and short range game. I still prefer it over the traditional method, and hopefully the next one offers motion controls like HV Bowling.

I like the new method better. I like both but the traditional style I do better on the PSP than the PS3.

Think Rainbow Six is going back to the store but all I can say about Hot Shots Golf is its just awesome love it and very addicting.

PSN: GreyFoXX4

For those of you who have it and are using a rear projection DLP, is there any noticable lag? Or is there a callibration screen? I loved this game on the PS2, but playing it on the DLP was horrible.. I tried it in the ps2 and ps3 on the new tv and it was just too much of a lag.

Most games are ok, it is just the ones that require really precise timing.. The PS2 DDR and this are unplayable on my DLP.. Thank god that Guitar Hero II and Rockband have the callibration..

Thanks in advance,

Jason

From what the gamestop guys told me

Had to stop there :)

For those of you who have it and are using a rear projection DLP, is there any noticable lag? Or is there a callibration screen? I loved this game on the PS2, but playing it on the DLP was horrible.. I tried it in the ps2 and ps3 on the new tv and it was just too much of a lag.

I have a Samsung DLP and dont have any lag.
I havent looked for a calibration screen so I dont know if it exists or not.

Question about the multiplayer tournaments... I see that you can have up to 50 players entered in a tournament; does that mean that you see "ghost" images of the other 49 players as you're playing the round? I've seen a game video showing how the other players are presented during multiplayer and I saw as many as a half dozen on the screen at a time.

I would think this could get so busy that you couldn't align your shot. This would be particularly disconcerting trying to line up a putt if it's the way I'm perceiving it.

I found the answer to my question in another thread... when you're playing in a tournament, you don't see the other players; however, if you're playing a round that was launched from a game room, up to 8 players can be playing along with you. I read that you will see what are described as semi-transparent "ghosts" of the other players as they're playing their shots.

It sounds like this could get a little hectic, but I'd like to try it. I don't own a PS3, but I'm considering purchasing one. Blu-ray winning the high-res DVD format war is a strong argument for one, but it's going to take three exclusive games that I classify as "must-have's" before I can justify it. So far MLB 08: The Show is the only such game, but this one might have a chance. I just don't know anyone who owns a PS3, and Hot Shots Golf 5 isn't on any of the demo kiosks in my area.

I have a Samsung DLP and dont have any lag.
I havent looked for a calibration screen so I dont know if it exists or not.


I also have a Samsung DLP and I don't have any noticeable lag, either.

I agree- my wife LOVES this game. She's the one that originally preordered it from Amazon before they bumped the ship date.


+1

My wife likes it also...... she's never played much on the consoles other than Wii sports, so she'll now be taking away from my console time. :D

I also have a Samsung DLP and I don't have any noticeable lag, either.

I too have a Samsung LED DLP (6187SAX) and notice no lag, and I'm not even playing in "Game" mode.

I too have a Samsung LED DLP (6187SAX) and notice no lag, and I'm not even playing in "Game" mode.

Same here and same exact TV so obviously same experience. In fact, I've NEVER had lag on this TV for any game and my friend's Sony SXRD is really bad for Guitar Hero.

*edit: There's quite a bit over overscan on this game and I just noticed I can't select "Just Scan" when playing this game. Is this because it's 720p?? The Show is too but at least you can change the size of the image in that.

Has no one mentioned that you have in-game access to your friend's list if you are in one of the lobbies? The lobby is like mini Home.

Yea the lobby system is very cool, great idea and very well done. I can see alot of potential for other games to do something like this and plus Home coming so games should really start having a great community for each. Its a great time to be a gamer for sure.

I found the answer to my question in another thread... when you're playing in a tournament, you don't see the other players; however, if you're playing a round that was launched from a game room, up to 8 players can be playing along with you. I read that you will see what are described as semi-transparent "ghosts" of the other players as they're playing their shots.

It sounds like this could get a little hectic, but I'd like to try it. I don't own a PS3, but I'm considering purchasing one. Blu-ray winning the high-res DVD format war is a strong argument for one, but it's going to take three exclusive games that I classify as "must-have's" before I can justify it. So far MLB 08: The Show is the only such game, but this one might have a chance. I just don't know anyone who owns a PS3, and Hot Shots Golf 5 isn't on any of the demo kiosks in my area.

What type of games do you like, just sports?

Otherwise I can name some must have exclusives that are out now!

but it's going to take three exclusive games that I classify as "must-have's" before I can justify it. So far MLB 08: The Show is the only such game

Hot Shots Golf, Warhawk, Ratchet and Clank Future, Uncharted, PixelJunk Monsters. Coming soon: Wipeout HD, GT5 Prologue, Metal Solid 4.

There's 9. I could go on and on.

Damn I'm loving this game. Online mode was fun too. I ended up getting 17 out of 50 in my first 9 hole tournament (-4). 9 holes online takes around 25 minutes.

Damn I'm loving this game. Online mode was fun too. I ended up getting 17 out of 50 in my first tournament 8 hole tournament (-4). 9 holes online takes around 25 minutes.

Wow. -4 for 8 holes is pretty good...what did the winner finish with??

Wow. -4 for 8 holes is pretty good...what did the winner finish with??

Ops, was 9 hole. And winner was -10. 2nd-4th was -7.

What type of games do you like, just sports?


Sports is pretty much it for me, mostly basketball, football, baseball, a little soccer, golf, and racing. I used to be more diverse in my gaming tastes, but that's honestly what it's down to now.

Hot Shots Golf, Warhawk, Ratchet and Clank Future, Uncharted, PixelJunk Monsters. Coming soon: Wipeout HD, GT5 Prologue, Metal Solid 4.

There's 9. I could go on and on.

All of those games look good in screen shots and certainly in reviews. The only ones I'm really interested in playing though are Hot Shots Golf and GT5 Prologue. I've never been a huge GT series fan though. Graphically, it is unparallelled and I think the driving model has been fairly realistic. What I don't like is racing design, which I feel is lemming like. I'm also not prone to get into racing/driving games that don't offer a true cockpit view. That has sealed the fate of the GT games for me so far.

Onlooker check out Formula One racing for the PS3, its an early title but the graphics are superb, it has all sorts of views (cockpit, etc) and is very realistic.

Man I REALLY wish this game had ingame chat so I could bring myself to pick it up. Looks to be fun but I refuse to buy a game that doesn't allow me to talk with my buds out of state while playing.

I almost wish the game got bad reviews so I wouldn't be tempted... :)

All of those games look good in screen shots and certainly in reviews. The only ones I'm really interested in playing though are Hot Shots Golf and GT5 Prologue. I've never been a huge GT series fan though. Graphically, it is unparallelled and I think the driving model has been fairly realistic. What I don't like is racing design, which I feel is lemming like. I'm also not prone to get into racing/driving games that don't offer a true cockpit view. That has sealed the fate of the GT games for me so far.

I don't want to take this thread anymore off topic so I'll get back to HSG after this but I believe GT5 DOES have a true cockpit view. I know the Japan demo does at least.

Man I REALLY wish this game had ingame chat so I could bring myself to pick it up. Looks to be fun but I refuse to buy a game that doesn't allow me to talk with my buds out of state while playing.

I almost wish the game got bad reviews so I wouldn't be tempted... :)

I understand but I shutter to think about 50 player online tournament with voice chat enabled in a slow paced, laid back game! :eek: Resistance 2 will have 60 player but at least you're a little busier thinking in that game than in HSG which may keep it somewhat more sane.

I don't want to take this thread anymore off topic so I'll get back to HSG after this but I believe GT5 DOES have a true cockpit view. I know the Japan demo does at least.

It does, and has had it for a long time.

I think even that even GTHD had a cockpit view.

I don't want to take this thread anymore off topic so I'll get back to HSG after this but I believe GT5 DOES have a true cockpit view. I know the Japan demo does at least.
It does. (http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/949/949777/vids_1.html) A very nice one. :)

I am surprised to see the overwhelming positive feedback here...

The overall game play is solid but this is the single most annoying game I have ever purchased. The rainbow of fruit flavors design, sound effects, music, etc. are all my version of hell. If that girl, whatever her ****ing name is, chases after one more of my shots and shouts in the most annoying voice ever, GREAT SHOT!, she will be beat to death with a putter.

Thanks, just had to vent....I knew what I was getting into, just thought they would mature this game slightly for the US market.

Maybe not entirely this game related but I have been playing and I keep getting dropped from psn. Anyone else experiencing this. But so far love hot shots golf. But the past hour I was dropped from a tourney and a pick up round. Hopefully this isn't due to their servers, I've all but packed up RB6 because of that lol.

If that girl, whatever her ****ing name is, chases after one more of my shots and shouts in the most annoying voice ever, GREAT SHOT!, she will be beat to death with a putter.



You better take back what you said about Hannah right now!!! :mad:

Heh, actually if you play a bit more you'll unlock other "GREAT SHOT!" caddies to add some variety.

I am surprised to see the overwhelming positive feedback here...

Thanks, just had to vent....I knew what I was getting into, just thought they would mature this game slightly for the US market.

Why would they do that? If people wante mature golfing game, go get tiger woods. This is supposed to be a fun, not too serious version of a golf game. I think the got off to a good start. Just hope they fix the few shortcomings with DLC and patches.

I thought this game was going to be 1080p.

I thought this game was going to be 1080p.

Nope 720p only.

just picked up this game, definitely a must buy !

only a couple of things they need to fix. skip the timer when everyone is finished and voice chat !

The overall game play is solid but this is the single most annoying game I have ever purchased. The rainbow of fruit flavors design, sound effects, music, etc. are all my version of hell. If that girl, whatever her ****ing name is, chases after one more of my shots and shouts in the most annoying voice ever, GREAT SHOT!, she will be beat to death with a putter.Have you ever played any of the other Hot Shot titles? They are all like this...

Can I quickly ask (I don't have a PS3 yet..this game is tempting me) - can you do multiple players with just one controller like you could in HS3 on the PS2?

Anyone know why sometimes I swing all the back for full power, and hit pretty close to dead on (advanced mode) the ball doesn't go near as far as the club indicates? Even when hitting from the fairway with little wind?

Also, how do I unlock additional courses? I'm sick of Highland CC ! :D

edit: just went into the online lobby, that is hilarious...I just hopped around saying "hi!" in a high pitched voice for a few minutes....At one point we had about 20 people hopping around in one little area of the lobby. And sliding down the stair case rails......Great fun, and I didn't even play golf!

Can I quickly ask (I don't have a PS3 yet..this game is tempting me) - can you do multiple players with just one controller like you could in HS3 on the PS2?

Yes, up to 4 players could share the same controller or 4 different controllers.

edit: just went into the online lobby, that is hilarious...I just hopped around saying "hi!" in a high pitched voice for a few minutes....At one point we had about 20 people hopping around in one little area of the lobby. And sliding down the stair case rails......Great fun, and I didn't even play golf!
You can slide down the bannisters in the game lobby? o.O

Yeah, they certainly got The Lobby right. If HOME is anywhere near as fun it's going to be a hoot.:D

Man I REALLY wish this game had ingame chat so I could bring myself to pick it up. Looks to be fun but I refuse to buy a game that doesn't allow me to talk with my buds out of state while playing.

Same situation for me. Would've picked this up if it had what by now should be a basic and mandatory feature. Without it, it may as well not have online play at all so no way in hell I'm picking it up...

Same situation for me. Would've picked this up if it had what by now should be a basic and mandatory feature. Without it, it may as well not have online play at all so no way in hell I'm picking it up...

That's a pretty lame excuse. If a voice chat is a deal breaker for you, then don't buy it and stop whining. It would be difficult to follow a conversation when there's 50 people online chatting....

That's a pretty lame excuse. If a voice chat is a deal breaker for you, then don't buy it and stop whining. It would be difficult to follow a conversation when there's 50 people online chatting....

Lame excuse? That's something I would expect to hear in the Wii section from some unabashed Wii fanboy, but it's pretty disappointing to hear people in the PS3 or 360 section shrugging voice chat off as if it's some bonus feature when it is one of the most important aspects of online play.

If you're not talking to the people you're playing with online, you may as well just be playing single player with several different AI profiles because that's basically all it is.

Don't want the chat in the 50 people tournaments? Fine. But if I want to tee it up with a couple buddies then I damn sure want to be chatting away, joking around, and delivering our "oooooh"s, "ahhhhh"s, and "nice shot dude"s with them while I do it.

Since apparently human interaction is of no consequence to you, the next time you play a splitscreen game with someone locally just sit in the same room with neither of you talking, laughing, or making a peep at all and relay back to me how much fun you're having compared to the amount you have when you don't have those restrictions.

A lack of online voice chat nowadays is simply inexcusable. Lame excuse? Give me a fuggin break. It's 2008, people that play video games aren't just a bunch of hermits in their parent's basements anymore. Most actually have friends nowadays, and some of us actually want to, you know, talk to them and have a good time while we play.

Hot Shots Golf has very social gameplay, so lacking the most social feature in a game like that is is a big deal.

after playing this game in several multiplayer configs.... online and at home.... there's no way I'd want chat in any part of the game OTHER than in the in-between hole lobby.

Lame excuse? That's something I would expect to hear in the Wii section from some unabashed Wii fanboy, but it's pretty disappointing to hear people in the PS3 or 360 section shrugging voice chat off as if it's some bonus feature when it is one of the most important aspects of online play.

If you're not talking to the people you're playing with online, you may as well just be playing single player with several different AI profiles because that's basically all it is.

Don't want the chat in the 50 people tournaments? Fine. But if I want to tee it up with a couple buddies then I damn sure want to be chatting away, joking around, and delivering our "oooooh"s, "ahhhhh"s, and "nice shot dude"s with them while I do it.

Since apparently human interaction is of no consequence to you, the next time you play a splitscreen game with someone locally just sit in the same room with neither of you talking, laughing, or making a peep at all and relay back to me how much fun you're having compared to the amount you have when you don't have those restrictions.

A lack of online voice chat nowadays is simply inexcusable. Lame excuse? Give me a fuggin break. It's 2008, people that play video games aren't just a bunch of hermits in their parent's basements anymore. Most actually have friends nowadays, and some of us actually want to, you know, talk to them and have a good time while we play.

Hot Shots Golf has very social gameplay, so lacking the most social feature in a game like that is is a big deal.


well said. While it wouldnt' make sense to have voice chat in the huge lobbies because it would be a mesh of 5 voices at once or whatever, if there's smaller onees that support 20 people or so, voice chat could be a good option. Localizxing the chat is also another option. You cna only hear people that are standing in your immediate area in the lobby.

Also, while you're playing, voice chat would be a good option between shots. For matches with friends, you could enable voice chat all the time, but for tournaments or online with other people, they could limit it during gameplay.

I'm sure these complaints are for people who don't have the game. I suggest picking up the game and seeing how hard it would have been to execute realtime voice chat since none of the online games actually run in realtime.

Still a great game and I highly encourage everyone to pick it up.

Same situation for me. Would've picked this up if it had what by now should be a basic and mandatory feature. Without it, it may as well not have online play at all so no way in hell I'm picking it up...

Stop with your BS, you would not have bought it and you are using the lack of one feature to troll. People that are playing online hours a day are not complaining, maybe you should go tell them how bad their game is.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=255115&page=13

On another note, I almost have to not turn this game on if I have anything else to do within a few hours. It's been awhile since I literally lost track of time when playing a game. 3-4 hours slip by sometimes and I barely notice it, and that's with offline-play as I try to improve my stats and unlock stuff.

OK, I absolutely suck at this game. Can anyone offer any tips as to getting the ball where you want it to go (hook/slice on purpose)? What really kills me is putting- how do I direct the damn ball?? I kind of understand the gradient thing but other than that I am a bit lost.

OK, I absolutely suck at this game. Can anyone offer any tips as to getting the ball where you want it to go (hook/slice on purpose)? What really kills me is putting- how do I direct the damn ball?? I kind of understand the gradient thing but other than that I am a bit lost.

Look at the ground and see which way it slopes. You will see white dots on the ground. For example, If you see white dots moving to the left then that means if you hit the ball it will start to steer towards the left because it is going downhill. Just practice is all it takes really.

Look at the ground and see which way it slopes. You will see white dots on the ground. For example, If you see white dots moving to the left then that means if you hit the ball it will start to steer towards the left because it is going downhill. Just practice is all it takes really.I realize that, and it's not so easy as it sounds. How do you know how hard to hit it for example?

As for hitting the ball otherwise, I guess I will just have to practice. I really suck. If I try to use the control pad when swinging the club I end up either slicing or screwing up my swing completely.

I'm sure these complaints are for people who don't have the game. I suggest picking up the game and seeing how hard it would have been to execute realtime voice chat since none of the online games actually run in realtime.

Still a great game and I highly encourage everyone to pick it up.

Isnt that normally the case? After playing the game Online (and getting beat I might add) I see how the lobby chat wouldnt work. 8 player online I could see it working. But certainly not 50.

Stop with your BS, you would not have bought it and you are using the lack of one feature to troll. People that are playing online hours a day are not complaining, maybe you should go tell them how bad their game is.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=255115&page=13

So in your crazy screwed up world I just have some personal vendetta against Hot Shots Golf and am trying to put a bad name out for it here?

Sorry, but I can assure that it is not my mission in life to badmouth this franchise and I am actually not buying it because of the lack of one *major* feature.

I reluctantly picked up SSBB knowing that it did not have online voice chat and can safely say that it made that game one tenth as fun as it would've been for me with that one simple feature after getting used to playing with friends online (with chat and all) on the PS3 and 360.

I'm sure there are plenty of people that are playing it online and having a blast. There are also plenty of people passing on it because of the lack of chat, to each their own.

I will admit though, it was difficult for me to not find the wisdom in your "nuh uh ur just lying" response and flip over to your side.

So in your crazy screwed up world I just have some personal vendetta against Hot Shots Golf and am trying to put a bad name out for it here?

Sorry, but I can assure that it is not my mission in life to badmouth this franchise and I am actually not buying it because of the lack of one *major* feature.
.
Fine.. you have every right not to buy the game because it doesnt meet your requirements. But to come here and constantly complain about it is doing what? It certainly isnt going to make you happy, and it certainly isnt going to prompt Clap Handz to put it in the game..so why not let it go?

I realize that, and it's not so easy as it sounds. How do you know how hard to hit it for example?

As for hitting the ball otherwise, I guess I will just have to practice. I really suck. If I try to use the control pad when swinging the club I end up either slicing or screwing up my swing completely.

When using the advance mode when putting, you see the faded ball moving forward. If you are going downhill then you want to stop the faded ball before the hole. If you are going uphill you want to allow the ball to pass to give it more power to roll up hill. If you go up hill and stop the faded ball on or before the hole it will never make it.

Fine.. you have every right not to buy the game because it doesnt meet your requirements. But to come here and constantly complain about it is doing what? It certainly isnt going to make you happy, and it certainly isnt going to prompt Clap Handz to put it in the game..so why not let it go?

Constantly complain about it? I was perfectly content to come in, leave my one sentence (which really just saying that I agree with what someone else said) and move on. I was then attacked as it just being "whining and a lame excuse" and "BS from a troll". Of course I'm going to respond to that.

It's not like I'm running around several threads talking about how Hot Shots golf doesn't have online voice chat. I made my point, was challenged with a point that online chat was not something worth caring about, and as such expanded on it to retort to that.

If you give a reason for passing on a game and people come in and attack you and tell you how your reason is stupid and no one should care about it, of course you're going to try and expand it to give your reasoning as to why you think it is important.

Yeah, I kind of picked up on all of that. It's just very difficult, especially on longer puts.

As for driving I still can't get topspin/backspin/sidespin stuff quite right. I guess I'll just have to keep on practicing.;)

Yeah, I kind of picked up on all of that. It's just very difficult, especially on longer puts.

As for driving I still can't get topspin/backspin/sidespin stuff quite right. I guess I'll just have to keep on practicing.;)

Use the practice course since that doesn't mess with your stats. each time you try and putt you can retry the putt as many times as you like to get a fell from close and long distances from the hole.

If you give a reason for passing on a game and people come in and attack you and tell you how your reason is stupid and no one should care about it, of course you're going to try and expand it to give your reasoning as to why you think it is important.

I wouldnt.. I dont need to explain or justify ANYTHING I do to the people here..or any other Forum. But to each their own, if you feel the need to get it off your chest, then so be it, but dont be surprised when others tell you how they feel. Just like you..they have the "right" to express their thougts and views on the subject.

the game is fun. i like the advanced controls. i hope we can select our own music sooner than later, though...

the graphics leave a bit to be desired - it is like there are some shading issues in the trees and i see alot of jaggies in the shadows and such. hopefully this will get patched at some point, 'cos it really should look better.

I realize that, and it's not so easy as it sounds. How do you know how hard to hit it for example?

As for hitting the ball otherwise, I guess I will just have to practice. I really suck. If I try to use the control pad when swinging the club I end up either slicing or screwing up my swing completely.

Experience is what you need. Whenever you miss a putt, replay it a few times to see what you should've done differently and adjust as you go. My best so far is -14 on 18 holes, and a large part of those birdies and eagles is a patient, experienced approach to putting. I never played other HS games, so it is possible to get better with practice (I played the Japanese demo a LOT however over the past year).

After playing a lot of Hot Shots Open Tee on PSP, I must say I hate advanced shot mode and I hate that they make you use it for some rounds. It is terrible IMO. Another huge annoyance I just discovered is landing on the front edge of a sand bunker about 50 yards from a lake. You will skip your ball off the front of the bunker and it will end up in the water everytime. I took me until my 12th retry until they made me give up. There was no drop option. Just shoot from the same impossible spot in the bunker over and over until the entire tournament is wasted.

I've been playing this game a lot for the last few days, and I have idea why sometimes it forces me to putt at 72ft away, and other times i can use slice within 10 yd. I prefer slice a lot more than putting when the ball is 20+ ft away. Other than that, this game is very fun and addicting. Online mode works great too!

I've been playing this game a lot for the last few days, and I have idea why sometimes it forces me to putt at 72ft away, and other times i can use slice within 10 yd.
If it's like the previous versions, it gives you the putter if you're on the green, regardless of how far you are from the hole. If you're on the fringe, I believe it defaults to a wedge, but you can switch to the putter if you desire.

After playing a lot of Hot Shots Open Tee on PSP, I must say I hate advanced shot mode and I hate that they make you use it for some rounds. It is terrible IMO. Another huge annoyance I just discovered is landing on the front edge of a sand bunker about 50 yards from a lake. You will skip your ball off the front of the bunker and it will end up in the water everytime. I took me until my 12th retry until they made me give up. There was no drop option. Just shoot from the same impossible spot in the bunker over and over until the entire tournament is wasted.


Not trying to be a jerk...but perhaps you should have hit it somewhere else rather than trying to go for the green (or rather towards the green) 12 times in a row? Simply turn all the way around if you have to and hit out of the bunker back to the fairway/rough. Or not even all the way around, just a different direction and choose a lofty club and hot with just a little power to get up and out. It's a silly fun game, but real golf practices should govern your play at times.

As far as the advanced shot option and only in my opinion, I am MUCH more consistent and able to hit the proper distance with fades and draws than the standard mode.
I was very pleased they re-designed this part of the game and yet left the old way rather than forcing everyone to adopt.

Is there to save you game mid round?

obviously just in single player challenge mode

After playing a lot of Hot Shots Open Tee on PSP, I must say I hate advanced shot mode and I hate that they make you use it for some rounds. It is terrible IMO. Another huge annoyance I just discovered is landing on the front edge of a sand bunker about 50 yards from a lake. You will skip your ball off the front of the bunker and it will end up in the water everytime. I took me until my 12th retry until they made me give up. There was no drop option. Just shoot from the same impossible spot in the bunker over and over until the entire tournament is wasted.

Heh--Who do you think you are, Gary McCord?

Not trying to be a jerk...but perhaps you should have hit it somewhere else rather than trying to go for the green (or rather towards the green) 12 times in a row? Simply turn all the way around if you have to and hit out of the bunker back to the fairway/rough. Or not even all the way around, just a different direction and choose a lofty club and hot with just a little power to get up and out. It's a silly fun game, but real golf practices should govern your play at times.

As far as the advanced shot option and only in my opinion, I am MUCH more consistent and able to hit the proper distance with fades and draws than the standard mode.
I was very pleased they re-designed this part of the game and yet left the old way rather than forcing everyone to adopt.

They DO force you to adopt when you have tournaments where you have no choice.

As for turning around, it didn't matter where I aimed, they dropped the ball in the same unhittable place everytime. No matter what it was stuck in an impossible spot and I couldn't drop outside the water which is ridiculous.

"Advanced" shot is fine I guess for non-gamers to pick up and play but it's not nearly precise enough for me. I think the old one should be called advanced and the new one basic.

Im fine with playing the advanced mode, im having more fun this way. I did get a hole in one on a par 3 and par 4 with this mode :P

the game is fun. i like the advanced controls. i hope we can select our own music sooner than later, though...

the graphics leave a bit to be desired - it is like there are some shading issues in the trees and i see alot of jaggies in the shadows and such. hopefully this will get patched at some point, 'cos it really should look better.

Graphically it looks exactly like the PSP version only in Hi-Def.

My wife and I have been finding inconsistencies with the shot system and a few other things in the game. We like the game and still play it, but when we are playing against each other it can be very frustrating when the game is so close.

I like the advanced shot system except for putting. I actually prefer to be in the fringe, cuz I can almost always make the chip-in while putts can be almost impossible at times.

OK, I absolutely suck at this game. Can anyone offer any tips as to getting the ball where you want it to go (hook/slice on purpose)? What really kills me is putting- how do I direct the damn ball?? I kind of understand the gradient thing but other than that I am a bit lost.

Well there's a lot to take into account. Just remember all distance estimates are for hitting off a level surface to a surface of the same level with no wind, rain, or extra spin. From there you can start factoring in externals.

For side to side motion the main issues for driving and chipping are wind and angle you are hitting from. If the ground is angled to the right, the ball will go off to the right. Wind also has a pretty large impact once you start going about 2-3 mph. So factor these into where you are setting your direction.

For getting the right distance, you need to take into account wind, elevation of target, gradient of target, and of ball, and spin. A wind blowing strong to from your back is going to make your ball travel quite a bit farther. If the target elevation is higher or lower, the ball will travel less or father, respectively. Spin can have a huge affect from approach shots. When putting the ball on the green, there is less friction so it will roll more. I put super backspin on most of my approach shots (hold up on D pad during power, and down on D pad during accuracy). This prevents the ball from rolling too far past the destination and even spin backward on landing.

There also more like rain, using side spin to avoid obstacles, etc. I still haven't got them all figured out yet either. And learning how the various gradients effect putting is tough to figure out without 2 putting lots of holes.

My wife and I have been finding inconsistencies with the shot system and a few other things in the game. We like the game and still play it, but when we are playing against each other it can be very frustrating when the game is so close.

I like the advanced shot system except for putting. I actually prefer to be in the fringe, cuz I can almost always make the chip-in while putts can be almost impossible at times.

I agree. Many chip ins can be much easier. However, I don't think this has much to do with the advanced shot system since power is almost never the issue. Chipping simply allows you to skip most of the difficulty with navigating the gradients on the green.

My wife and I have been finding inconsistencies with the shot system and a few other things in the game.

I doubt that, you are probably just seeing what was intended. There is surface speed, wind, shot power range (depends on surface), etc. You cannot simply hit it at 100% and expect the same result every time when the power range says 88-95% on the rough or 35-100% in the sand.

They DO force you to adopt when you have tournaments where you have no choice.

As for turning around, it didn't matter where I aimed, they dropped the ball in the same unhittable place everytime. No matter what it was stuck in an impossible spot and I couldn't drop outside the water which is ridiculous.

"Advanced" shot is fine I guess for non-gamers to pick up and play but it's not nearly precise enough for me. I think the old one should be called advanced and the new one basic.

Interesting...Didn't read into your post that it was dropping you back in the bunker. Would be odd that it dropped you back there, rather than place you in a "drop zone". Of the few I have hit into the water, be it off the tee on while on approach, it has always dropped me "near" the water.

While I don't dispute you could not hit out of the bunker, it could have been a glitch, I still find it odd to believe there was no way out. Even if you had to hit totally the opposite way from the hole. If that was the case it must have been a glitch. You should be able to hit somewhere else out of the bunker. Don't care how close it is to the "wall/side" or lip elevation. With the proper loft there must be an "out". Again though, just haven't seen the situation come up.

Constantly complain about it? I was perfectly content to come in, leave my one sentence (which really just saying that I agree with what someone else said) and move on. I was then attacked as it just being "whining and a lame excuse" and "BS from a troll". Of course I'm going to respond to that.

It's not like I'm running around several threads talking about how Hot Shots golf doesn't have online voice chat. I made my point, was challenged with a point that online chat was not something worth caring about, and as such expanded on it to retort to that.

If you give a reason for passing on a game and people come in and attack you and tell you how your reason is stupid and no one should care about it, of course you're going to try and expand it to give your reasoning as to why you think it is important.

Man, just drop it. No one asked for your opinion and no one is forcing you to buy the game. No matter what the developers do, you are the type that will find any flaw in a game.

Yes, having no voice chat sucks, but I can see why they didn't implement it. It's a golf game, do you see people chatting in a real golf game? After playing online for a couple of hours yesterday, there is only one spot where voice chat won't be detrimental in the game and that is between holes or after the round is finished.

Whats with the complaints about the advanced shot?

I am just trying Hot Shots Golf for the first time (great fun so far) and I picked up the advanced shot in 5 minutes......It doesn't seem that much different from any other golf games I've played......The "basic" shot method or whatever seems kind of like the same thing only its presented differently...........I don't get the complaining.

Just curious to see if anyone else noticed this- when we started playing the game, we were chipping shots in left and right. It was crazy! It was like the "luck" factor was cranked up. (I'm not saying there is one but that's what it seemed like.) After advancing through the game it seemed like the frequency of these "lucky' shots decreased considerably. Obviously we didn't get worse with more practice. Anyone else in the bronze/silver/gold tournements notice this or are we just nuts!?

Also, the online rooms are cool but I really wish you could have two online avatar characters...... my wife made a little girl avatar and we were trading the controller back and forth...... and I kept getting hit on........... I tried to explain but it didn't go well....... lol

I agree. Many chip ins can be much easier. However, I don't think this has much to do with the advanced shot system since power is almost never the issue. Chipping simply allows you to skip most of the difficulty with navigating the gradients on the green.

I know what you mean, but I'm fine with the gradients. It's always been my strong point, even back on HSG2 on ps1. It's the power increment. The only way to know you're between, say 50% and 75% is by the flashes/beeps and guesstimation, where with the traditional system you have the bar to put it exactly where you want. So instead of being able to consitently hit putts with the traditional system, I now get a lot of "whoosh" putts, where the ball circles the hole and doesn't drop...all cuz I can't set the power as consistently.


I doubt that, you are probably just seeing what was intended. There is surface speed, wind, shot power range (depends on surface), etc. You cannot simply hit it at 100% and expect the same result every time when the power range says 88-95% on the rough or 35-100% in the sand.

I understand all the variables. And while I also understand in real life things like wind aren't consistent, those varilables effects can be way out of proportion in the game. The most common thing we see is the effects of wind. Last night we were on a tee with the wind approx. a 4. Same characters, same club, both hitting a 100% 'double note' nice shot. But on a par 3 with a distance of 170y or so, and having a 30y variance is just stupid. And on a hole that we have both HIO'd on a few occasions. It just rubs ya the wrong way at times. Not enough to stop playing, but enough that it takes your opinion of the game down a few notches.

I know what you mean, but I'm fine with the gradients. It's always been my strong point, even back on HSG2 on ps1. It's the power increment. The only way to know you're between, say 50% and 75% is by the flashes/beeps and guesstimation, where with the traditional system you have the bar to put it exactly where you want. So instead of being able to consitently hit putts with the traditional system, I now get a lot of "whoosh" putts, where the ball circles the hole and doesn't drop...all cuz I can't set the power as consistently.

For putting I use the ghost ball for gauging power and have found it very good. However, for 30y+ chips using the swing position for mid range shots is difficult.

The ghost ball is good on a flat surface, but not so good on an incline. You can use the ghost ball as a power meter my looking at the max reach and judging the ball from your point to there, but it's hard to judge the further out it gets. When there is a big incline I got by the 25,50,75,100 beeps. I just don't think the adv. putting is up to traditional putting. I can see what they were going for with the new method, which I like a lot, but it just isn't quite there IMO. I will say the ghost ball for chip shots is the greatest thing ever though. :D

Whats with the complaints about the advanced shot?

I am just trying Hot Shots Golf for the first time (great fun so far) and I picked up the advanced shot in 5 minutes......It doesn't seem that much different from any other golf games I've played......The "basic" shot method or whatever seems kind of like the same thing only its presented differently...........I don't get the complaining.

It's great for pick up and play but I find the Traditional shot (which I honestly think is the one that should be called Adavanced) far more precise. Yes I do suck with Advanced for anyone that wants to go ahead say "Well you just hate because you suck at it." Yes, I do. It feels like a total crapshoot half the time, like you're giving it your best guess. Sure the Traditional might be too "precise" for an average real life golfer, but at least I'm not nearly totally guessing my shot strength out on the real course.

I've only played one online tournament so far but the top 4 finishers were using Traditional, the bottom 3 were using Advanced. :cool:

anyone playing on a samsung LCD...wondering about the lag if any...

It's great for pick up and play but I find the Traditional shot (which I honestly think is the one that should be called Adavanced) far more precise. Yes I do suck with Advanced for anyone that wants to go ahead say "Well you just hate because you suck at it." Yes, I do. It feels like a total crapshoot half the time, like you're giving it your best guess. Sure the Traditional might be too "precise" for an average real life golfer, but at least I'm not nearly totally guessing my shot strength out on the real course.

I've only played one online tournament so far but the top 4 finishers were using Traditional, the bottom 3 were using Advanced. :cool:

Yea, i've seen quite a few traditional users finish high. However, just about as many advanced users as well. I've also gotten 1st and 2nd in a few 50 person tournaments with advanced.

This game is hella fun, but also hella frustrating. I guess I need to learn all of these gradient/wind/spin/elevation variations, but wind does not work the way I think it should. When I am using a club that is ideally rated to go 171 yards, and the hole is 165 yards away, and I am hitting into a 5 MPH headwind, I don't expect the ball to go flying past the hole when I hit it 100%. In fact, in that kind of wind, I don't even expect it to make it within five yards of my side of the hole, but fly past the hole the ball does. And crosswinds don't seem to affect the ball either. I initially tried to compensate for them and would go off course. Since I stopped accounting for wind no matter which directon it is blowing, I feel like I've been getting better scores.

But it is a fun game, and since the COM players start to throw the tournament if you start to get too far behind, I can overlook its flaws.

Oh, and once I realized I had my PS3 set up to only output 1080P, that explained the horrid graphics. Once I enabled 1080i and 720p it looks a bit better. Was it sending the game to my TV in 480p before I enabled 720p out? I still get a weird shimmering in the trees on the flyovers, and there are more jaggies than I expected.

Played my first online tourny today and everyone abandoned ship about 3holes through (bastards). Is there any way to see other people actually on the course or is it only the scorecard at the end of each round?

This game is hella fun, but also hella frustrating. I guess I need to learn all of these gradient/wind/spin/elevation variations, but wind does not work the way I think it should. When I am using a club that is ideally rated to go 171 yards, and the hole is 165 yards away, and I am hitting into a 5 MPH headwind, I don't expect the ball to go flying past the hole when I hit it 100%. In fact, in that kind of wind, I don't even expect it to make it within five yards of my side of the hole, but fly past the hole the ball does. And crosswinds don't seem to affect the ball either. I initially tried to compensate for them and would go off course. Since I stopped accounting for wind no matter which directon it is blowing, I feel like I've been getting better scores.


The wind works properly, but you have to account for the incline/decline that the ball is on... that's assuming you are not in the rough or a sandtrap, and that you aren't adding english to the ball (topspin or backspin).

If the ball is sitting on an incline, your ball will lose distance depending on the incline angle (steeper means more negative influence on distance). The opposite is true for the ball being in a slope going downwards. Lastly, the ball will go a farther distance than the club rating if your shot begins on a location significantly higher than where it lands. There are a few Par 3s out there that start off with a high tee shot relative to the hole.

Played my first online tourny today and everyone abandoned ship about 3holes through (bastards). Is there any way to see other people actually on the course or is it only the scorecard at the end of each round?

In tourney mode, no, but you can read what they are doing if you go to the card and press /\ a few times after you are done with a hole. However in the 8 player game mode, you can see all the opponents on the course in real time as you play (make them disappear with the R3 button if it is distracting).

I finally gave in and bought a cheap BT keyboard ($29) off of eBay so I can chat in game. That I suppose it will be good for other uses.

So, what's the consensus with the advanced shot vs. traditional shot? From my experience I'm just not liking the way some of my shots turn up with advanced shot. I find it really hard to guage the power of shots, especially on par 3 holes. I'm either shooting the ball too short and into the water/rough or too far and again, into the water/rough. This gets really annoying because I end up bogeying or double bogeying these holes because I am overshooting the green/pin. Is this something I should just stick with or should I just go back to the tried and true traditional method?

Putting, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be a problem at all with traditional shot for me.

I find advanced shot OK. Just go to the overhead view and line up your shot- go down a club if you have to lessen the distance and up the power of your stroke if neccessary.

Is it just me, or does this game never seem to change? I DL'd the vid off the PSN, and if you had told me it was one of the older PS2 versions, I might actually believe you.

It all just looks the same, same, same.

I prefer the advanced shot. By design it is harder to gauge your power (other than max and 50%), but the bonus is longer drives. One thing about the max power... your club turns red before you reach 100%, so to get, say, 95% you want to go into the red zone but swing just before it reaches the end of the motion..

go down a club if you have to lessen the distance and up the power of your stroke if neccessary.

That is a good tip that I never thought about. That should help me enjoy it more for sure!

If it's like the previous versions, it gives you the putter if you're on the green, regardless of how far you are from the hole. If you're on the fringe, I believe it defaults to a wedge, but you can switch to the putter if you desire.

Thanks for the clarification. =) I just wish I can the option to use the wedge regardless how far i am from the hole...

It's great for pick up and play but I find the Traditional shot (which I honestly think is the one that should be called Adavanced) far more precise. Yes I do suck with Advanced for anyone that wants to go ahead say "Well you just hate because you suck at it." Yes, I do. It feels like a total crapshoot half the time, like you're giving it your best guess. Sure the Traditional might be too "precise" for an average real life golfer, but at least I'm not nearly totally guessing my shot strength out on the real course.

I've only played one online tournament so far but the top 4 finishers were using Traditional, the bottom 3 were using Advanced. :cool:

The top finishers that use Traditional Shot could be seasoned HSG players. That's my guess.

Thanks for the clarification. =) I just wish I can the option to use the wedge regardless how far i am from the hole...
I think it's against the rules to use a wedge on the green.

At the very least, it's very bad for the green. :p

I don't find side spin very useful other than getting around obstacles. Is there any special use to it? I thought maybe it can reduce the effect of the wind if I spin it against the direction of the wind, but I will find out through training sometime later.

Your character may not be a good sidespinner (or not upgraded enough). You also can only spin as much as the ball lie allows, which is indicated by the horizontal meter above the ball image on the lower right of your screen. The vertical bar works the same way for maximizing top/back spin. The only way you can significantly go past those limits is with this method (example with a side spin to make ball fly right).:

* Tap X, hold right on d-pad
* Choose power level, tap X, hold left on d-pad
* Time for perfect impact, tap X

Doing that will make a blue swirly special FX and you'll notice the ball fly to the far left of the direction you were aiming before curving far right in the air as it lands. The impact marker on the ball will be greatly to the left of center with a blue marker, showing you that it worked. Works with top/back spin as well, along with combinations, like a right spin+back spin---->left spin+top spin swing with perfect impact for a low height, sharply right curving hit that rolls extra yardage when it lands.

Onlooker check out Formula One racing for the PS3, its an early title but the graphics are superb, it has all sorts of views (cockpit, etc) and is very realistic.

I'll see if I can find it on a demo machine. This game isn't on the standard PS3 kiosk is it? Is the racing model pretty decent?

I'm seeing more videos of HSG5 now and it looks like it would be something I could enjoy. I saw a multiplayer video on Youtube that really aroused my curiosity. It looks like if you get the shot clock/time limit set properly, the game can flow at a pace that's acceptable to faster pace players like myself, yet allow those who like to deliberate a little longer enough time to not feel overly rushed.

I'm not so much worried about the lack of voice chat while in game. It's absence wouldn't be a factor in my decision to buy this game, if I buy a PS3. I have full voice communication in Tiger Woods 2008 on the XBox 360, but I'm so paranoid about speaking when someone else is swinging and I dang sure have to go mum when I'm contemplating and executing my shot. I generally only talk between holes, but it's nice to have that option at that point.

One thing I would like to ask those of you who are playing this in multiplayer online (not tournaments, but live simultaneous play) - when you see the "ghosts" of the other players playing along with you, do you get an indicator as to what shot they are playing? IOW, if I see a player up ahead preparing to putt, does the game tell you how many strokes they're lying as they play that shot? I would think it could lose some immediacy in live multiplayer play if you can only see opponents playing their shots, yet not know how many strokes they've taken to that point.

I don't want to take this thread anymore off topic so I'll get back to HSG after this but I believe GT5 DOES have a true cockpit view. I know the Japan demo does at least.

Thanks... I'll put this on my list of things to check out in pondering my PS3 purchase! It would definitely put GT back on the gaming map for me!

In watching the videos of HSG 5 on the internet, I've got to say that I strongly prefer its camera work to Tiger Woods 08, which is ball-cam centric.

I think it's against the rules to use a wedge on the green.

At the very least, it's very bad for the green. :p

Bad etiquette and rarely done, but it's not against the rules.

Neat feature once loyalty is upgraded- using triangle to increase shot power on impact or O to decrease shot power on impact. I find myself using this constantly now that I got used to it! Anyone know what percentage it adds or takes off your shot? (I assumed about 10%-ish)

I don't find side spin very useful other than getting around obstacles. Is there any special use to it? I thought maybe it can reduce the effect of the wind if I spin it against the direction of the wind, but I will find out through training sometime later.

Well getting around obstacles is the main use. However, it can also be used if your landing area doesn't follow the path of the ball from a straight shot and you could potentially go off the fairway. Using sidespin would put more left or right roll on the ball when it lands.

Yeah, a spin is also good on some greens with the hole is placed in a tight spot where a direct approach might over/under play the landing of the ball for a put chance. Imagine a horizontal egg shaped green with the hole near one tip on the end... it is best if you can have the ball land near the middle of the green after it sharply curves in the air so that it bounces and rolls mostly horizontally on the green to the hole. A swing approach that is directly towards the hole in this example would be tougher to control.

-------

Hey fellas, here's a cool little HSG blog (http://mingol.shihiko.net) I stumbled on to today. He has a tip section for the new PS3 release that some of you may learn from. I briefly skimmed over it and it looks pretty good (work in progress).


grand sport: At what level of loyalty did you get that feature unlocked? I'm around L12 with Jasmine right now. I want to max her out before I start leveling up one of the advanced characters once I unlock them.

Joe, I think it was level 2. I didn't even notice it on the first character but when we leveled up Sasha I read the description. It takes a couple shots to get used to it but it's very usefull especially for those shots where you didn't quite get the power all the way to 100%. Hit triangle instead of X for contact and it gives the power a little bump (not over 100% as i understand it.)
Conversly, hitting O would shave a little power off the shot. I find that useful when I want just under 100%. It's easier to set the power meter at 100% and then shave a little off using O on contact. I find this much easier than trying to judge 90-95% on the power meter (advanced mode of course.)

Edit: in addition to Joe's comment on the sidespin- I find it also useful when you are trying to hit a green with a wood and there are bunkers in front of the green. It's hard to "stick" the ball on a green with a wood and a lot of greens have a fairway run-up that is not directly in front of the green. A wood would either bury the ball in the bunker OR hit the green and roll off the back. If you can hit the offset fairway with a draw/fade shot it will hit the fairway and roll up on the green in the desired direction. [I'm not sure if I described that well enough- feel free to clarify]

I got the 'super side-spin' clubs which seems to help too.

Your character may not be a good sidespinner (or not upgraded enough). You also can only spin as much as the ball lie allows, which is indicated by the horizontal meter above the ball image on the lower right of your screen. The vertical bar works the same way for maximizing top/back spin. The only way you can significantly go past those limits is with this method (example with a side spin to make ball fly right).:

* Tap X, hold right on d-pad
* Choose power level, tap X, hold left on d-pad
* Time for perfect impact, tap X

Doing that will make a blue swirly special FX and you'll notice the ball fly to the far left of the direction you were aiming before curving far right in the air as it lands. The impact marker on the ball will be greatly to the left of center with a blue marker, showing you that it worked. Works with top/back spin as well, along with combinations, like a right spin+back spin---->left spin+top spin swing with perfect impact for a low height, sharply right curving hit that rolls extra yardage when it lands.


Joe Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! I was looking for a good explanation of [b]when] to hit the D-pad to get the various types of "English" on the ball.


Also, aside from the chat or no chat comments, it seems to me that most of the comments in the thread kinda sound like the things people would say when playing real golf. In other words, for a game that is not a simulation, it sure elicits passions like the real thing. I think that is a good thing, & kudos are in order to the developers.

You're welcome.

The Japanese version of the game received an update (http://mingol.shihiko.net/?p=228), so it is likely to be aded to the U.S. version at some point:

-Gloria’s Character Added.
(To use her you will need to purchase her from the Playstation Store:500 yen).

-Soccer Ball in the Lobby.

-Memorial Photos for Grade Tournaments.

-Save Data Copy Protection Removed.

-Display of Participants Details during Real Tournaments.

-Personal Profile Course view to include new course best scores.

http://mingol.shihikostudios.com/uploads/ShihikoGoal.png

I'm leveling up really fast now. Once you get past 2 it's really easy to level up. I'm 5 or 6 now... Hard to find time to play online because you really have to build up your skills for quite a while in single play before you go online.

Actually you don't! I maxed out Jasmine playing a lot of solo, but I'm now playing a few matches online. Because I still want to earn loyalty points, I was playing with my Level 2 Sasha (intermediate class) in pickup 9-hole games and did pretty well.

On my third game, I got first place with a -9 score on the back-nine of the first course. I had only two par holes, and the rest were birdies with two eagles. On that last eagle I was literally a half an inch from my first albatross.

One thing that improved my game was putting in time on the practice course #0. Besides being a fun diversion trying to do some minature golf-like stunts with the gadgets scattered around, you can get a great feel for shot placement and wind adjustment with the clubs and settings you control. My midrange approach game definitely improved as I cycled through the nine hole placements that course has.

Bonus tip for people having problems with the advanced shot.... if you are trying to gauge a shot, say, 85% to 95% power, press R2 before you start your swing! This will move the camera directly in front of your character, allowing you to easily see the path of your club for precise power swings! Try it and I know it will help you as much as it has for me.

Big thanks to obsid1an, joeblow, and grand sport for clarifying the use of side spin. I tested out the effect of side spin in training course #0 last night, it seems that putting side spin doesn't change the landing spot of my shot, different from what I expected.

Do you guys think it's best to focus on a character or two, or try to learn every character? So far I've been using Jasmine, and the immediate guy from the demo (forgot his name) a lot. I don't even bother using the two advanced characters I unlocked so far, as I like characters with good control and impact. I can see having more power is very beneficial though. What stats matter the most to you guys?

To me, I like the power game in my characters since I am pretty good at nailing the impact spot (or getting close to it). I must admit I haven't experimented enough with the alternate styles, like those with a hook built into each shot.

I maxed out the beginner Jasmine first, I'm L3 with Sasha in the mid-level class and will max her out, and when I see the expert group I'll decide who to pick then to have at least one complete character in each level. Eventually I may max out all of them... I like the corny reactions and animations they do as you play.

Constantly complain about it? I was perfectly content to come in, leave my one sentence (which really just saying that I agree with what someone else said) and move on. I was then attacked as it just being "whining and a lame excuse" and "BS from a troll". Of course I'm going to respond to that.

It's not like I'm running around several threads talking about how Hot Shots golf doesn't have online voice chat. I made my point, was challenged with a point that online chat was not something worth caring about, and as such expanded on it to retort to that.



FWIW, when the PS3 has chat systems like Xbox 360 (we all know its coming), this won't be an issue anymore. You can just chat with your buddies on that while playing. I'm not saying you should get the game or whatever, I wish it had voice chat too, but eventually this will be rectified.